Watching the RNC and later the DNC (usually really early in the morning before I get dressed for work - which means "very sleepy and cursing myself for not hitting the sack earlier last night") I realized just how far off American politics are from our very own local blend of "Kenyan Politicos" - a fine mixture of tribalism, poverty, a pinch of sycophancy and if you're lucky, a good dose of NHIF money. Worlds apart - that's the idea.

There was a time the "event" that gripped the public conscience was the trees being felled in the Mara, and true to our Kenyan ways, the illegal settlement of persons in gazetted forests became a political hot button issue. One MP even went as far as saying that there is absolutely no relationship between the Mara River and the Mau Forest. We were not surprised - we winced when the video clip was aired on prime time news - but we were not the least bit surprised.

I think we have become so accustomed to these political shenanigans, that we forget that politics is not about political statements but rather policy leadership and making a difference in the lives of decent Kenyans. And all Kenyans are decent.

Watching the RNC and DNC, you note that the word "tax" keeps popping up,  whether it's increasing tax on the rich to peg a deficit, or even out taxes for the middle class to keep them at work and their businesses open. What I take from it all is a focus on private enterprise - the starting of small and medium sized businesses that support households and offer employment to communities.

And taxes are at the very heart of it all. Small businesses ought to sustain the payment of a reasonable tax over their business cycle inorder to keep them profitable.

Import and export duties determine whether these businesses find it profitable to conduct their affairs within the country or in a tax haven such as Dubai or Mauritius.

Tax breaks on new home owners allow young couples to save and build or buy their first home, in which they will raise their children and contribute meaningfully to the country's economy.

Consumer taxes, such as sin tax on cigarettes and alcohol allow for the steady collection of revenue as the economy grows and people have more time and disposable income in their hands.

Tax, my dear politicians, ought to be at the very heart of your election campaign.